


Nice.

by orphan_account



Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Exactly What It Says on the Tin, F/M, I guess theres the background theme of like. Adultery. Con artistry. Murder-fraud., antagonists are people too, but really this is just musing, drops this at your door with a loud funny HONK HONK as my clown car speeds away again, maybe dubcon if you see wake-up-groping as that, or whatever, so if that's not to your tastes then dont at me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:37:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24570148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A late rainy night. 858 words of Violetta avoiding letting me write a character study on her. Ludo is there too, but not a lot.
Relationships: Violetta Talenti/Ludo Talenti
Comments: 16
Kudos: 14





	Nice.

**Author's Note:**

> 15th nov 2020: i'm deleting my account but leaving this and a few others up as orphaned versions.
> 
> Yes, I know villains are bad and murder is bad and toxic relationships are bad and all that jazz, that's their function in a story, now get off my case and let me love them.

Ludo wasn't awake when she got in. Like the windless night outside, the house was quiet and still after the clack of the front door. The lights were all down apart from the cool blue aquarium at the far wall of the big downstairs sitting room. It didn't look like anyone had spent any time in there lately. 

It was better that way. Violetta didn't want to walk in on Ludo when he was tired and staying up on telephone calls or paperwork. That was never his best hour. He got sloppy with his words, and his thoughts and emotions, and she didn't like cleaning up for him.

Not to mention when he stayed up to wait for her.

Violetta took a quick bite in the kitchen - just lemon water and a slice of the good bread that was left over from that morning, some cheese and tomato on top. She'd missed dinner, but he hadn't invited her either.

She paused to consider in the silence of the tall, empty hall. She could've slept in either of the guest rooms. It might've been better, just to avoid bothering Ludo when she knew he was still upset. He hid it poorly, honestly, but kept up the act that it didn't bother him too much. As if he cared just as little as he thought she did. It was a generosity Violetta  _ knew _ she didn't deserve.

He wasn't bad to her at all, was he. She squeezed the railing once before making up her mind and took off her shoes. The heels would've just slowed her down in scaling the stairs. The wainscoting and rich wallpapers greeted her warmly and welcomed her upstairs, the better rooms, and she went to throw her clothes and bag and things away in the dressing room.

Violetta faced herself in the mirror, took off her earrings and tied up her hair. There was time to brush and take care of it all better in the morning. Looking at her face and looking  _ at herself _ were still two different things, and unfortunately it was harder to avoid the latter the longer she spent at the vanity. 

Ludo hadn't done anything bad lately, and her arms were chilled after the evening country drive back home. She didn't need to act like he had. Mascara and eyeliner got smudged everywhere before she managed to properly clear her eyes on the second or third pass. The lipstick was already gone anyway, so cleaning up the rest didn't take as long.

The bedroom door was heavier than usual and closed with a bit too loud snap before Violetta could stop it. She peeked over her shoulder. One of the tall windows was open, and even in the gradually growing stillness that night the draught was enough to push the door shut. 

She looked to the bed when Ludo let out a muffled sigh. He was asleep all right, even if the sound made him stir slightly somewhere between the pillows.

It took another moment to push the window shut, but not just for the draught. She was stuck looking out over the dark garden. The sky had lurched lower, promising a summer storm, perhaps, as the cool, heavy air grew fresher by the minute. She was almost certain it already smelled like rain. She thought she even heard the slight rustle and patter of the first droplets hitting trees and their roof. 

She closed the window, slid her dressing gown off, and snuck quickly to bed.

No matter how careful she was or how much the expensive mattress helped, as soon as the bed dipped, Ludo took another deep breath and turned over onto his back. He didn't open his eyes, but his closer hand found her arm. It was a careless caress.

_ 'Home?' _ he mumbled, maybe.

_ 'Yes,' _ she said and left it at that. The pillows weren't sitting right for her.

'Nice.'

Ludo turned over onto his side again, facing away from her and pushing his arms out. He slept like a horse, that man, and as lightly too, but somehow he was always fully rested anyway. She envied him for it, when her own dreams were like sticky dough - falling asleep took great effort at first, and it was just as hard to get rid of the sleepiness after.

Nice. It almost made her laugh. She moved in a bit closer and pressed her nose into the warm crook of his neck and shoulder.

'Hmh?' He didn't sound particularly awake, but asked anyway.

_ 'Nothing,'  _ Violetta whispered. She hugged an arm around his middle.  _ 'Sleep.' _

'Mhm.' He didn't put up a fight, and even let her trap one of his legs between hers.

She woke up to bearded kisses trailing along her arm, and Ludo's hot hands roaming on her thighs and hips. Consciousness came slowly, at first, but Violetta wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders while she waited, and let him do the work on waking her up. 

It was definitely raining outside. Not that she was feeling too dry either, after he'd roused her enough that the heaviness in her eyes wasn't for sleep anymore.


End file.
